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2022 Jan-Dec;8 20552076221116559.

Investigating psychological variables for technologies promoting physical activity.

Patricia Rick, Milagrosa Sánchez-Martín, Aneesha Singh, Sergio Navas-León, Mercedes Borda-Mas, Nadia Bianchi-Berthouze, Ana Tajadura-Jiménez
Author Information
  1. Patricia Rick: Department of Psychology, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, Spain.
  2. Milagrosa Sánchez-Martín: Department of Psychology, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, Spain.
  3. Aneesha Singh: UCL Interaction Centre, University College London, UK. ORCID
  4. Sergio Navas-León: Department of Psychology, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, Spain.
  5. Mercedes Borda-Mas: Department of Personality, Assessment, and Psychological Treatment, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain.
  6. Nadia Bianchi-Berthouze: UCL Interaction Centre, University College London, UK.
  7. Ana Tajadura-Jiménez: UCL Interaction Centre, University College London, UK. ORCID
PMID: 35923757 DOI: 10.1177/20552076221116559

Abstract

Background: Many technological interventions designed to promote physical activity (PA) have limited efficacy and appear to lack important factors that could increase engagement. This may be due to a discrepancy between research conducted in this space, and software designers' and developers' use of this research to inform new digital applications.
Objectives: This study aimed to identify (1) what are the variables that act as barriers and facilitators to PA and (2) which PA variables are currently considered in the design of technologies promoting PA including psychological, physical, and personal/contextual ones which are critical in promoting PA. We emphasize psychological variables in this work because of their sparse and often simplistic integration in digital applications for PA.
Methods: We conducted two systematized reviews on PA variables, using PsycInfo and Association for Computing Machinery Digital Libraries for objectives 1 and 2.
Results: We identified 38 PA variables (mostly psychological ones) including barriers/facilitators in the literature. 17 of those variables were considered when developing digital applications for PA. Only few studies evaluate PA levels in relation to these variables. The same barriers are reported for all weight groups, though some barriers are stronger in people with obesity.
Conclusions: We identify PA variables and illustrate the lack of consideration of these in the design of PA technologies. Digital applications to promote PA may have limited efficacy if they do not address variables acting as facilitators or barriers to participation in PA, and that are important to people representing a range of body weight characteristics.

Keywords

Physical activity barriers behavior change body weight exercise facilitators obesity psychology self-care technologies

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Word Cloud

Created with Highcharts 10.0.0PAvariablesbarriersapplicationstechnologiespsychologicalphysicalactivitydigitalfacilitatorspromotingweightpromotelimitedefficacylackimportantmayresearchconductedidentify12considereddesignincludingonesDigitalpeopleobesitybodyBackground:Manytechnologicalinterventionsdesignedappearfactorsincreaseengagementduediscrepancyspacesoftwaredesigners'developers'useinformnewObjectives:studyaimedactcurrentlypersonal/contextualcriticalemphasizeworksparseoftensimplisticintegrationMethods:twosystematizedreviewsusingPsycInfoAssociationComputingMachineryLibrariesobjectivesResults:identified38mostlybarriers/facilitatorsliterature17developingstudiesevaluatelevelsrelationreportedgroupsthoughstrongerConclusions:illustrateconsiderationaddressactingparticipationrepresentingrangecharacteristicsInvestigatingPhysicalbehaviorchangeexercisepsychologyself-care

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